Acts 6-3
So last time for the last two weeks we were reviewing the Armor of God of Ephesians 6:10-17 in relation to Acts 5:41.
We went over the Belt of Truth (The word of God )
the Breastplate of Righteousness, which we mentioned last time was (Sanctification phase 2)
the Feet fitted with readiness of the Gospel of peace (Are feet are grounded, because of truths of the Gospel and this gives us peace. )
We are ever ready to share this peace with others Acts 1:7
Now lets finish with the last three pieces of the Armor. The Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation, and Sword of the Spirit.
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Shield of Faith.
As Believers we have the opportunity to have “Peace that passes all understanding” Phil 4:7 as we reflect on the promises of God, and as we meditate on these promises, we become at peace. When we do this we develop an unshakable TRUST in the Lord.
Biblical Faith (Trust) has three stages. Faith isn't blind by any means.
1st Stage of Faith Believing the promises of the Bible: Duet 33:27; Ps 16:8; Ps18:2-3; Ps 23:4; Isaiah 41:10; 2 Thess 3:3; Heb 13:5-6;
2nd Developing a pattern of thinking which is like Jesus Christ. (Phil 2:3-11). (Eph 5:1 Imitators of God)
3rd Stage of Faith Creating enough of a Biblical frame of Reference that when you face situations in your life, You are able to face these situations and apply Biblical solutions to life's problems. This is us being “Doers of the word.” James 1:22
When we do all of this we begin to start using what Paul refers to as “The shield of Faith” Lets look at it from a different angle.
Turn to Psalm. (57)
So we are studying how as Christians we need to take full advantage of the ll Armor of God. We went over what all the armor consists of. However this particular Psalm is David using that Shield of Faith. Remember David was anointed by the prophet Samuel to be the next King of Israel. David had killed Goliath and Saul grew jealous of David and wanted him killed.
David is hiding in a cave because there is a real threat of death from King Saul. And David while faced with this threat is holding up his “Shield of Faith” His trust in the Lord. In verse 1 he is using the analogy of a little bird who is taking refuge from a passing enemy by hiding under the wing of a parent.
Tom Constable. (2003; 2003). Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible (Ps 57:1). Galaxie Software.
1. Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,
for I take refuge in You.
I will seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings
until danger passes.
c 57:1 Ru 2:12; Ps 17:8; 91:1, 4
We should all be praying this prayer to God, everyday. We as hopeless sinners should all desire the Grace of God. We definitely don't want God to deal with us based of his Justice. The opening part of the song, David is praying God will show Grace when dealing with him.
Then notice Psalm 57 1-B. I take Shelter in you. That is our Shield of Faith. Trust in God as we seek his shelter. The analogy is that when danger is present, just as a little bird will hide themselves under the wing of their parent. We should hide ourselves under the Wings of the Lord. -Matt 6:31
2 I call to God •Most High,
to God who fulfills ?His purpose for me. (Phil 2:13)
When we are going through trials in life, let us cry out to the Most High. -1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all of your cares on him...
When you are going through a hard time, do you call out to the Lord? I was remembering going to Victoria and not knowing what my Baby had wrong with her. We had just gone to two different places to attempt to get her blood drawn.
I couldn't be in the room. I attempted to go back and caught a glimpse of 4 people standing around my Baby as one was trying to draw her blood. I walked to the opposite direction. I'm weak like that. I cant stand to see my daughter in pain. And I was pacing up and down the hall. Erin and myself were both real stressed out. And I remember pacing up and down the hall calling out to the Lord. I had a feeling of helplessness with the situation.
I'm not familiar with medical terms, and had no idea what was going on. I just threw myself at his thrown. I called out to him.
None of us will be perfect during trials in life. However the scriptures say we can call out to him. We also know that God desires to work with in us. To accomplish HIS WILL, not OURS.
We when filled with the Spirit, no unconfessed sins in the life have the privilege to allow the Spirit to work within us to Will and to do his Good pleasure.
That is precisely the goal in this life, to allow the Holy Spirit to work within us, for the ultimate goal of bringing honor and glory to our savior Jesus Christ.
e 57:2 Or who avenges me
The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2003 (Ps 57:2). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
3 He reaches down from heaven and delivers me, -Matt 6:13
challenging the one who tramples me.
God sends His faithful love and truth. 2 Timothy 2:13
f 57:3 Ps 56:1-2
•Selah A Hebrew word whose meaning is uncertain; various interpretations include: (1) a musical notation, (2) a pause for silence, (3) a signal for worshipers to fall prostrate on the ground, (4) a term for the worshipers to call out, and (5) a word meaning “forever”
g 57:3 Ps 25:10; 40:11
4 I am in the midst of lions; 1 Peter 5:8
I lie down with those who devour •men.
Their teeth are spears and arrows;
their tongues are sharp swords. (Romans 3:13) “Their tongues are like a open Tomb”
• Literally sons of man or sons of Adam
h 57:4 Ps 58:6; 64:3; Pr 30:14
The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2003 (Ps 57:4). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
5 God, be exalted above the heavens; Phil 2:10 At the name of Jesus every knee will bow
let Your glory be above the whole earth. Colossians 1:16 All things were created by him for him.
i 57:5 Ps 108:5; 113:4
The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2003 (Ps 57:5). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
6 They prepared a trap for my steps;
I was low in spirit
They dug a pit ahead of me,
but they fell into it!
j 57:6 Ps 9:15; 35:8; Pr 28:10
The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2003 (Ps 57:5-6). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
7 My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident.
I will sing; I will sing praises.
8 Wake up, my soul!
Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.
9 I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the nations.
10 For Your faithful love is as high as the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
11 God, be exalted above the heavens;
let Your glory be over the whole earth.
Psalm 57 is a song about the Shield of Faith. As David was confident he would have victory in the Lord.
Bond, J. B. (2010). The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians. In R. N. Wilkin (Ed.), The Grace New Testament Commentary (R. N. Wilkin, Ed.) (890). Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society.
) and the sword of the Spirit, which is ?the word of God. (put into action)
So in Conclusion lets read Ephesians 6:10-17 Expanded Translation based on all that we have studied so far.
10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. 12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. 13 This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.
14. ?Stand therefore with (The word of God, Biblical truth like a belt around your waist, like the great stabilizer in your life,
with righteousness (Sanctification phase 2 which is having control over sin in your life; achieved by K+B+A to the Word of God) like armor on your chest, e
15 And your feet securely fastened to the ground with readiness for the gospel of peace. F (Which is, peace we have as we reflect on the truths of the gospel, and our readiness to share this “peace” the gospel with others. Acts 1:8 Romans 1:16, )
16 In every situation take the shield g of faith, (That Shield which is full trust in God as we Trust in his promises to us, and start to develop a pattern of thinking which is like Jesus Christ, and then are able to apply Biblical solutions to life's problems, Heb 12:2, Phil 2:3-11, Eph 5:1 This gives us full confidence, full TRUST, Full FAITH in the Lord.
and with this Shield of Faith you will be able to extinguish
the flaming arrows of the evil one Which is Satan and his World system. John 8:44 Eph 6:10-12
17 Take the helmet of salvation,(which is that helmet that protects our thinking as we reflect on what we have in Christ.
and the sword k of the Spirit, l which is God’s word put into action, as not just hearers of the Word but as doers of the word James 1
So from looking at this Armor that we are to wear before going into battle. We have this confidence because we know that no matter how we fair in battle, Jesus Christ has already won the War. John 12:31, Colossi ans 2:15, Heb 2:14:15, 1 Peter 5:8-9,
However we are called by God to do battle against the enemy, to “Run the Race with endurance, not growing tired of life” Heb 12::1, 2 Tim 4:7
And just as we learned in Psalm 57 to hide ourselves under the wing of the Lord, Cast all things on him because he cares for us. 1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 55:22
We also have another advantage as Christians. We can look to Jesus as the Author and perfecter of the Faith. Heb 12:2.
We are commanded as Christians to grow. We saw last time in 1 peter that Christians are designed to crave the pure milk of the Word 1 peter 2:2, and Paul expected his congregation to grow to be spirtiual able to digest solid food. 1 cor 3:1. What I didn't mention last time is we as Christians are commanded by God the Holy Spirit to grow to Spiritual Maturity.
Conclusion 2 Peter 3:10
14 Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found in peace without spot or blemish before Him. y 15 Also, regard the patience of our Lord as ?an opportunity for? salvation (sanctification phase 2) just as our dear brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you. z 16 He speaks about these things in all his letters, in which there are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable (infant Christian) twist them to their own destruction, a as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.
17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard, b so that you are not led away by the error of the immoral and fall from your own stability. (Belt of Truth) 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge c of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. d e •Amen. f
And as we mentioned last time. Is preparing for battle against our enemy the devil the main focus in most Churches? Or has the Devil moved in on these Churches using Great distractions as the means to keep Christians as Spiritual infants.
As the average Christian is distracted by the Details of Life, and sermons with empty speeches. All of this because the average Christian has forsaken sound teaching. 2 Timothy 4:3, and are more interested in the “itching of ears”
Turn to 2 Timothy 4:3
compare that to 2 Timothy 2:15-17.
However if we run the race successfully we will be rewarded. Turn to 2 Timothy 2:1-13.
1.The faithful will reign with Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:12 Revelation 3:21. “Those who endure to the end” 1 cor 3:12. “
Rewards in Christ”
Now turn to 1 Corinthians 3:13.
Now Revelation 3:14-22
2.We are to suffer as a Solider in Christ. (2 Timothy 2:3 Also Ephesians 6:10-17)
3.We are not to concern ourselves with the things of this life. (Matt 6:24, Matt 6:31)
4.If we are faithless he is faithful. (1 John 1:9)
Turn to Psalm 53
Care of the Widows.
In Acts 4:32. The Christians had everything in common. (Meaning they didn't view their possessions as their own. They all shared everything. In the beginning stages, they were all positive to Doctrine.
Then you will notice that in Acts 5:1 Annanias and Saphira (while attempting to Barnabas offering in Acts 4 36-37. Sold their possessions and made it look like they gave all of their profits to Peter. We all remember what happened as a result of that. Annanias,and Saphria, were taken out of this life, by the means of the Sin Unto Death.
Acts 6:1 It's worth mentioning again that this Sin Unto Death is the maximum punishment a Believer can receive in this life. Being viewed as useless in the battle. The commander in Chief calls the Carnal Believer (whose heart is hardened to doctrine.) home.
So this community where everyone positive to doctrine. And is of “One accord” didn't last long. In Acts 6 that's all over. Notice what it says. There is murmurings. Murmurings from the Greek speaking Jews, against the Hebrew speaking Jews, over how their widows were being neglected.
So Satanic division had successfully infiltrated the church. With relation to the details of life. Notice something in the first part of Acts 6:1. The early church was growing. And touching on something that we mentioned on last time. The early church was becoming a threat to the enemy. So that's when you see a Satanic roadblock placed in the early churches path. Today Satan doesn't even have to bother, you see today's church, and pastor don't share the same concern that the 12 Apostles did at this time. Read with me Acts 6:2
Acts 6:2 So the complaints from the Greek Jew, against the Hellenistic Jew had made it's way to the 12 Apostles, and notice their response. “It's not right that we should have to forsake the studying of the Word of God to serve tables.” How many Pastors today share that concern? Quite the opposite. They are more concerned with Church growth, counciling, marketing, being an official organizer, worship leader, ect. However God the Holy Spirit reveals through Luke in Acts 6:2 that the Apostles should be spending their times studying. The Apostle Paul instructs Timothy the Pastor to do precisely the samething in 2 Timothy 2:14-15 Please turn there.